Bringing home trophies as checked baggage from Zimbabwe?

[rookhawk]

So every time I go to Zim it seems I add more to the pile of stuff paid in full, awaiting import to the USA. What would the legalities be for an American to put their finished taxidermy from Zimbabwe (or dip/packed hides and skulls for that matter) and putting it all in checked luggage to bring home to the USA?

Is this a lost cause or is this possible? It would seem to save a lot of freight and customs $$$ if this is legally possible.

 

[Hunt anything]

I would think getting any export permits would be next to impossible, I have brought tanned skins home but the taxidermist had the documents and didn’t include any special animals, only blue wildebeest,springbok and mountain reedbuck. This was South Africa, can’t speak on Zimbabwe.

 

[rookhawk]

I would think getting any export permits would be next to impossible, I have brought tanned skins home but the taxidermist had the documents and didn’t include any special animals, only blue wildebeest,springbok and mountain reedbuck. This was South Africa, can’t speak on Zimbabwe.

Export permits from Zimbabwe, or Import permits to the USA?

I ask, because I certainly have the TR2 or TRAS2 showing I lawfully hunted the animals. Many of them are now tanned hides and bleached skulls. I thought I could potentially carry them home in checked baggage?

Examples: tanned sable hide and skull. Nick-nacks made from eland horns. Son's euromounts on wood plaques.

 

[R.M.C.]

Seems like it would be worth a shot to me, but I've never done it, just read a lot about it. If the taxidermist could provide you with the sort of paperwork you get when purchasing a tanned hide or wart hog tusk bottle opener at the airport or wherever , might be worth looking into . Just my two cents, I'm an optimist lol

 

[Jaegger]

I asked this question during a 2018 hunt to Namibia & there is a minimum drying time of 60-days before an official Veterinarian Certificate can be issued, particular for Dip/Pack, could be similiar in other African Countries & centered around International Exportation Law.

Now ‘finished’ trophies w/ proper drying, treatment, Vet & Export Cert - fair question & answer to track down.

 

[Dee S]

They sell finished hides at the airport in Johannesburg. I guess you'd have a bill of sale for those? I know my daughter brought back a springbuck skin she bought there with no issues. Unfinished stuff, I dunno?

 

[Randy F]

Interesting question. Tanned hides and finished skulls past the waiting period wouldn’t be required to pass through USDA either, correct?

 

[matt vejar]

I checked into this when I hunted in New Zealand which it is very easy to do. Catch is Fish and game only allows you to import two animals. I had shot 4. Next time I go 2 only.

 

[matt vejar]

Two animals as checked baggage!

 

[Hunt anything]

Somewhere on this site I saw that even finished swine Taxidemy has to go to USDA, I had never heard of that as I had a mounted bush pig and euromount bush pig skull come through customs in June of 2021 and they didn’t go to USDA.

 

[Red Leg]

You will also have that dreaded "do you have any animal products" question to ponder.

 

[CoElkHunter]

How about cutting the horns off and taking them in your checked bag? You'd have your Safari contract with you? Nothing to tan/cure with horns.

 

[R.M.C.]

Seems like it wouldn't be so different from bringing souvenirs with animal parts.

 

[JPmbogo]

Hemingway like fantasy. I live on the US west coast. I want to take a luxury train to New York, where I will then board a luxury liner (first cabin, of course) to probably Liverpool. There I will board another luxury liner to Dar es Salaam via the Cape. There I will be met by my PH for a 3 month tented safari during which I will take at least one of everything available. Ah, born too late. Actually, I would even more want to hunt with Selous in the mid-19th century and I already jave the 8 bore for that safari - see my posts elsewhere.

 

[Longwalker]

I’m unable to answer for USA regulations, but in Canada the regs are designed to protect the agriculture industry and wildlife from serious transmittable diseases like foot and mouth disease, African Swine fever, various parasites, etc. I’m glad there are import / export hygiene standards that must be met. Permits are another story. Permits are unnecessarily difficult. Governments could make the whole process much simpler. The problem with governments is they never lose their “customers” due to poor service.

 

[outwestidaho]

Somewhere on this site I saw that even finished swine Taxidemy has to go to USDA, I had never heard of that as I had a mounted bush pig and euromount bush pig skull come through customs in June of 2021 and they didn’t go to USDA.

The law as written for swine etc hasn't changed . It's been the same since I have been USDA approved 15 years ago. The law as written is all encompassing . It neither states raw or finished skull. It just says skulls. That being said when shipped out of Africa they do the proper paper work for raw and normally not for finished.
So customs agents generate a 16-78 form requiring raw to proceed through a USDA facility when it enters the country. If the skull is finished and has no paper work it will go through most of the time . If an agent sees that the work is finished skulls they may or may not make it a restricted order. 40 percent of our swine clearing is finished skulls. Also note that a customs agent can at will restrict your order for USDA clearing if he or she just wants to, no matter what it contains. It totally at their dissection.

 

[outwestidaho]

Oh and sorry but raw items on your fight back a no go. Required drying times, treatment of skins (chemical) before leaving country, vet permits ,export permits etc. All have to be done before export.

 

[Grouser]

What are the documents and permits required to bring things (like hides) home??

 

[Philip Glass]

Skins have to be salted and dry before they can be exported. The main issue is that everything moves slow as molasses in winter in Africa. It takes time to get export permits. If you went back to the same place next year then I guess with proper paperwork it could be done from the previous year. Clearing Customs and USFWS yourself on return could be trouble as well. This is why I use @TROPHY SHIPPERS for these things.
It is interesting you can buy hides in the airport with no paperwork! I know some guys who brought cleaned Kudu horns back in luggage.
Philip

 

[Scott CWO]

Not sure about dip/pack and vet regulations for African animals but I have taken my salted/dried full-bodied sheep capes, skull caps and horns home with me from MX, Canada and Tajikistan as recently as 2018 and have helped several desert sheep clients do the same with their MX rams that I guided on Baja. For sheep and other CITES species, you need the CITES export permit from the hunted country. You can find the regulations for the USA side of things on the USFWS website. I printed the regs and took them with me. Definitely need a Form 3-177 as well.

You must enter the USA through a USFWS designated import Port of Entry such as LAX airport, Houston airport, Chicago airport or other ports of entry that are listed on the USFWS website list of approved ports of entry. Not every international US airport is on the list. You must declare that you have wildlife parts at US Customs and have the USFWS Officer and USDA Officer on duty do a quick inspection. The USFWS Officer will keep the original CITES permit so I always made a copy for my records before leaving MX, Canada or Tajikistan. Skins from MX were required to be frozen for 24 hours either before or after being salted/dried before traveling. Skins must be dried and salted enough so that they are “tack dried” (stiff, not wet). Skulls and horns have to be free of all flesh and soft tissue. I always called the USFWS Officer at LAX before my flight to make sure he was there when I landed. If my flight landed after normal business hours, there was an overtime fee.

I am not sure about the exact procedures for African animals. There might be Vet Certificates and dip/pack requirements that prevent you from taking freshly harvested animals home but I would bet that you could take animals harvested the year before home with you through an approved USFWS Port of Entry airport after doing some research.